Chapter 148: The Mission of Xiao
In the Dawn Laboratory.
Lilia put down the note Neily had left for Ara, a sense of melancholy lingering in her heart.
“So, Ara and Bai have such a complicated past…”
Lilia was intelligent. She had already read about Vikarn and Project Zero, and with her recent encounters with Bai and Ara, and now this note, she was beginning to piece together the truth of a past buried for centuries, a story of warmth and an irretrievable sadness.
“What could have happened, to make Chief Researcher Neily separate Bai and Ara, only to… let everything go, centuries later?”
She looked at the small notebook on the table, the third item.
Zero’s Observation Diary
It looked like an ordinary lab notebook, but the elegant, ancient script held a sense of history.
She opened it, her expression growing more serious as she read.
And on the final page, her eyes widened. She closed the diary, sighing.
“So, that’s how it is…”
“Your Highness, are you finished with your inspection?” Xiao’s voice suddenly asked, startling her. “You… you can talk? On your own?”
“Haven’t we been conversing, Your Highness?” Xiao replied, a hint of confusion in its tone, though it didn’t seem to care.
It noticed the diary in her hand. “Neily’s things… well, you can give them to Miss Pandora, or keep them for yourself.”
“…I think I’ll give them to Bai,” Lilia decided, putting the diary away.
Xiao knew of Bai’s existence, so it didn’t press the issue, changing the subject instead.
“However, Your Highness, I must remind you that Vikarn is on the verge of collapse.”
“If you don’t return to Solor soon, you will be lost in the void forever.”
Lilia’s expression hardened. She had expected this.
But the situation was still dire.
“I understand,” she said, standing up, but Xiao stopped her. “Wait, Your Highness. Don’t go through the main entrance.”
“Why?” she asked, then realized the answer. “Don’t tell me…”
“It seems Your Highness is quite intelligent,” Xiao said. “Due to Miss Pandora’s and Miss Nisha’s battle, Vikarn is on the brink of collapse. You’re safe here, in the Dawn Laboratory, which is designed to withstand a direct attack from the Abyssal Lord. But if you go out the main entrance… I’m afraid I’ll have to… collect your remains.”
Although a bit morbid, Xiao’s point was clear.
But…
Lilia touched the ring in her hand, the one Neily had left for Ara. But Ara…
As if sensing her hesitation, Xiao reminded her, “Your Highness, you hold the Gatekeeper’s ring. It can open a node back to Solor.”
“This is likely your last chance.”
Last chance…
A cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She was torn.
“It seems several of your Legendary Knights have gathered outside the laboratory,” Xiao said, as if guiding her decision. “The scepter you hold can amplify the ring’s power, enough to bring them back with you.”
The scepter’s guidance… this was its purpose.
After a moment of agonizing indecision, Lilia sighed. She couldn’t hesitate any longer.
If she was lost, it was one thing. But if the Legendary Knights were also lost… it would be a catastrophe for the Empire.
She made her decision. “…Little brother, how do I get out?”
“Little brother? Haha, I’ve never been called that by a princess before,” Xiao chuckled. “Follow my lead. I will take you to your Legendary Knights.”
A hidden door opened in the wall.
Without another thought, Lilia gathered the items from the table and stepped through.
After she left, in a hidden corner of the laboratory, Xiao’s core began to decay.
The battle between Ara, Nisha, and the Abyssal Lord phantom had been too much, the residual destructive energy overwhelming its systems.
But even then, its voice was still cheerful.
“Well, well, I didn’t expect to meet my end today. But before I go, I have to help Neily one last time.”
“…At the very least, I have to make sure Zero doesn’t have that look on her face anymore.”
Sending Lilia and the Legendary Knights back to Solor was for the good of the human Empire. And besides them, Xiao had also gathered many of Vikarn’s device fragments and precious data, placing them near the Knights.
And then, with its remaining processing power, it began to construct a coordinate node within the Dawn Laboratory.
“This way… even if… Zero… she can still find… her way…” Xiao’s voice faded, turning to static. “Zero… Neily… they look better… when they’re smiling…”
A moment later, the core went dark.
Xiao, who had witnessed everything, the glory and the fall of the ancient empire, the peak and the nadir of humanity, had faithfully fulfilled its mission, preserving the flame of hope until the very end.
…
Vikarn’s collapse continued. As Lilia emerged from the laboratory, she saw that besides this small, intact area, the rest of Vikarn was a wasteland.
The Legendary Knights had gathered, their faces grim, searching for something.
Seeing Lilia, Kruse rushed to her side. “Your Highness, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice low, clutching the scepter. “Legendary Knights, I’ve come to take you home.”
